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Nigel Farage is celebrating a significant victory at local government level after claiming three by-election wins that will boost Reform UK's momentum ahead of the next General Election.

The party, led by Nigel Farage, saw councillors elected last Thursday in Basildon, Rossendale, and Sheffield, prompting Farage to post triumphantly on X (formerly Twitter): "Delighted with some big Reform UK wins across the country last night!"

Reform's new councillors include Sarah-Jane Shields in Wickford Park, Basildon Borough Council, Mackenzie Lee Ritson in Whitworth, Rossendale Borough Council, and John Booker in Stocksbridge and Upper Don, Sheffield City Council.

The party's critics online were quick to comment on Reform's update - as one user mocked: "3 local councillors WOW what outstanding success". Others shared: "30% turnout seems to indicate the majority were not interested in Reform being elected at all."

But supporters hailed the result as a sign that the party's message is growing. A post read: "The march continues! We've all had enough of the uniparty. Bring on the change!"

Reform UK's rise has been gathering pace since last year's general election, where it finished third in the national vote share with just over 14%, pushing ahead of the Liberal Democrats by around half a million votes. It also secured five seats, including one for Farage himself in Clacton.

According to the BBC, the party's membership has quadrupled in the year since.

For his part, Farage has been seeking to distance himself from the more extreme fringes of the populist right.

In an interview with The Times, he dismissed any alignment with the criminal far-right activist Tommy Robinson, while saying of the controversial misogynist influencer Andrew Tate, "I can see why he's doing well." He added that if young men did not have Reform as a voice, "you wait till what comes after me".

While some see this rhetoric as controversial, the party's steady growth is notable, especially in parts of England where frustration with the two main parties is running high.

Reform now controls Kent County Council, once a Conservative stronghold, and its growing presence is viewed as a potential threat in dozens of marginal seats.

As Reform's profile rises, so too do celebrity endorsements. Just days before performing the prestigious Legends Slot at Glastonbury Festival, Sir Rod Stewart, 80, offered his support to Farage in a candid interview with The Times.

"It's hard for me because I'm extremely wealthy, and I deserve to be, so a lot of it doesn't really touch me. But that doesn't mean I'm out of touch," Stewart said.

Criticising Labour leader Keir Starmer's Brexit stance, Stewart argued Starmer was "cutting off the fishing in Scotland and giving it back to the EU", something Stewart believes "hasn't made him popular."

"We're fed up with the Tories. We've got to give Farage a chance. He's coming across well. What options have we got? I know some of his family, I know his brother, and I quite like him."

Pressed on Farage's positions on immigration and his economic plans, Stewart said: "Starmer's all about getting us out of Brexit and I don't know how he's going to do that. Still, the country will survive. It could be worse. We could be in the Gaza Strip."